Time Running Out
by Jaks-Girl
Summary: When Terra joins the Teen Titans, Serenity (mine) is running out of time to tell Beast boy of her love. Will she suceed? Or will Terra ruin her chances forever?
1. Bad Temper

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything of the Teen Titans, except Serenity, and my love for Beast Boy. !!!

The day started out the same. Raven was meditating by the window, Starfire was sitting on the couch watching Cyborg and Beast boy, who were in the kitchen, arguing over what exactly Spam was, and why it could or couldn't be considered as vegetarian. Robin was sittng at the computer console, running a main frame checkup, and I? Well, I was sitting in my own corner, drinking my tea, and reading the latest manga Suu-Lin had gotten me from home. I set down my cup, and my foxy black eyes scanned the room. No. Not yet. I had a few moments left of--

"Good morning, Everyone!"

Damn. My tails twitched as Terra walked into the room, happy and chipper, like the little, Beast Boy-stealing little _baka_ she was. I buried my face in my book, hoping looking at her wouldn't set off a natural disaster in Titan Tower. Terra walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of steamed carrots from last night. She turned to Beast Boy, and held them up.

"Were you going to eat these? If so, i'll leave them alone..."

Beast Boy's face turned beet red. "N-no. You can have them, Terra. I don't mind."

I looked over the top of my book. One could almost see the hearts blossoming above Beast boy's face, as Terra acted all innocent and loveable.

"Whore." I said under my breath, as I lifted my cup to my lips.

Grrowlll...

I looked down. I couldn't ignore it any longer. I was hungry. I set my cup and book down next to my cushion, and walked over to the freak-accidental couple.

"Excuse me." I said, nudging Terra out of the way of the fridge.

I reached in and grabbed my sushi I made last night. I kicked the door shut, and turned.

"Eh-hem." I coughed.

Terra was blocking my way to the counter. She looked up.

"Oh." she said. I could almost hear the disdain in her voice. "Sorry.."

She held out my chopsticks.

"Here you go." she said sweetly, smiling.

"Thanks." I said, snatching them out of her hand.

I turned, and left, going back to my corner, only to see Starfire looking at my manga.

"Oh, bloody hell. Forget it."

I huffed over to my tea service set, and set my cup and breakfast on the tray. Hoisting it up, I left the room, hot faced and angry. Starfire turned and watched me leave, as did everyone else.

"What was that all about?" asked Cyborg

"Who knows." said Robin


	2. Do you love me, too?

Up on the top of the Tower, everything looked peaceful. There was sun poking through the clouds occasionally, and it looked like rain. I sat, watching the clouds drift lazily over the sky as I drank my tea. It was my last cup, and I was surprised I made a whole pot last an hour and a half. I heard the door open. I looked casually to my left, and saw Terra in front of the opening. My lightened mood instantly soured, like warm milk on a hot day. She walked over to me and crouched next to me.

"Are you okay? Everyone's wondering--" she asked

"Yeah. I'm fine." I answered shortly, my fox ears flattening.

"Geez! What's you beef against me? You're acting worse to me than Raven did when I came here the last time!"

"Go away, _Tera Firma._ Just buzz off, like the pest you are."

"FINE!"

Terra stomped off, and I was left alone again. Or so I thought.

"Wow! What'd you say to HER?"

I looked over my shoulder again. Beast Boy was coming over to sit next to me. My tails twitched slightly.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked as he sat.

"Yeah." I sipped at my tea.

"I don't want this to sound mean, but, why do you have a problem with Terra?"

'Because I love you.' I thought 'But do you love me?' "She's annoying, sickly sweet, and just plain buggy."

"That's not it, is it?"

'No, Beast Boy. It's not. That punk is stealing away every chance I get to tell you I love you. She's stealing you away from me, and that is sooo not on the agenda.' "It's just... Beast Boy... I- I--"

"Beast Boy! Serenity!" our communicators crackled "Get down here! We have a situation!"

I sighed. We got up and headed down stairs as fast as we could. I would have to just tell him some other time, when there won't be anything or anyone to interrupt us.


	3. Robberies and Due Favors

"What is the problem?" Starfire asked Robin

"Robberies. West Lincoln and Third. Titans, GO!"

---

We got to the place in a short amount of time. It was a jewelry store, and out in front of it, on it's steps, was a woman. She had on a short black skirt, a small, long sleeved black top, and knee-high black boots. Her short black hair framed her face, and her eyes were framed by a mask. She saw us arrive, and stood up.

"Ah. Hello, Titans. Glad you could make it. Your timing is impeccable."

"Who are you?" Robin shouted

"I am Libra Katt. Pleased to make your aquaintaince." she bowed slightly.

"You are a theif." said Starfire accusingly

"Am I really? Can you prove it?" she inquired.

"Titans, GO!"

We went for her, and I let fly a barrage of softball sized burning hailstones. She dodged them, gracefully, and was able to stay clear of all of our attacks. We regrouped ourselves and went again. This time, a few clods of electrically charged earth. Again, she dodged mine, as well as the others'. Terra pulled up the ground she was standing on, and Raven incased it in a sheilded bubble.

"Serenity! Send a charge up there! Not much though!" shouted Cyborg

I readily complied. I concentrated hard to pull up a small charge to zap her unconcious. I found the will, and let it fly. Raven dropped the bubble, and Terra dropped the earth, leaving her free-falling open for my hit. A flash of light blinded us all momentarily, but when it subided, there was a large round object standing on the ground, about eight foot across. It looked like a sort of shield made of rough hewn blue water crystal. All of a sudden, it contracted to about the size of soft drink lid, and there stood Libra Katt, brushing dust off her shoulders, tutting faintly. In her hand was the crystal sheild, and another as well.

"My, that was a close one." she said softly. She scanned the team, then looked straight at me. "You almost put me out of commission, child. I was raised to return something that was given, twice over. Now, it's time to return the favor!!!"

Libra Katt spun gracefully like a dancer, and threw the crystals at us. We all scattered, but before I could scarcely move, they were wrapped around my legs. They were like a set of bolos, so I was set off balance, and fell gracelessly face first. I heard the clicking of heels, and saw Libra Katt standing next to me. My ears flattened.

"Tsk, tsk, fox-child. I had hoped that you'd put up more of a fight before I put you out of commission... PERMANENTLY."

She put her foot on my gut and unwrapped the crystals from my legs. As she held them, they grew in size. Soccer ball. Beach ball. Trash can lid. They stopped growing as they reached the previous size of her sheild. Effortlessly, she swung them around her head in a circle and brought them down. The last thing i saw was flashes of green light, the clang of metal, and I felt myself flying through the air, landing roughly and blacking out...


	4. From the eyes of Another

Sorry about taking so long on this chapter, but you know how much a pain writer's block can be!

Beast Boy's POV

"Serenity!!!"

Robin and Starfire jumped into action. Robin took out his retractable bo staff, and Starfire shot some starbolts at the crystal. With both of them working together, they managed to barely divert those massive crystaly thingies. They touched down about three inches fom Serenity, and they sent her flying. She landed twenty yards away, and didn't move.

"Serenity!" I yelled again.

"She'll be fine!" shouted Terra. "Go for Libra Katt!"

I changed into a rhino and went charging at the frail looking body of the enemy. She spun and i missed, but was almost hit by Cyborg's sonic cannon. A leap and a flip later, we were separated by about ten yards of empty concrete. Libra Katt dusted herself off again, and fingered a bit of her sleek black hair.

"Don't you realize that none of you, no matter how many of you there are, cannot defeat me?" she smirked.

Robin got pissed off. He badly wanted to put her in her place, and that was an overwhelming feeling if you're him. With a yell, he ran at her and jumped, aiming his foot at her face. In a flash of blue, red and black, Robin was down in a cloud of dust. Slowly it cleared, and standing there was a guy of about twenty-one with red dreds and a skin-tight black and blue suit and blue boots of the same color.

"Titans," announced Libra Katt, "This is my associate, T.J. Jones." He smirked.

She gave him a look that I can only decribe as desire for this guy. I gagged into my arm as she checked him out.

"Oh, T.J.," she said flirtingly, "Do me a favor. Blast the fox-child into smithereens. The other brats are a handful, so i'll keep them occupied." she twisted another portion of her hair.

"Sure." he nodded

And from the corner of my eye, I swear I saw Terra and Starfire melt into puddles from his voice. Even Raven looked a little punch-drunk at the sound.

"Take care of us?" asked Cyborg "HA! I don't think so!"

"Oh no you don't!!!" screeched Libra Katt "NO ONE interferes with Jones' plans!!!!"

Again the crystals grew humungo and she tossed them at us. One captured Raven, Starfire and Terra. The other? Well, let's just say it didn't exactly miss it's target. I smashed into Cyborg, and Robin just got smashed, and not in the good way. I could hear the screams of the girls, but mostly Terra and Starfire. From around the edge of the shield, I could see Libra Katt holding the reigns to the crystals, and beyond her, Jones charging up. Around his outstretched hand, a mass of blue energy started to form.

"Serenity!" I cried, struggling furiously.

"Uh, Beast Boy? I think we have other problems!" shouted Cyborg.

The crystals were starting to close up into a casing. We were gonna be caught for good! Thinking fast, I turned into a mouse and squeezed out of there in the nick of time. It was too late for the others, but not for Serenity. I had to do something fast, or she was toast. I changed into a lepoard, and at the same time i started running, Jones shot off his bolt of blue. Everything started to go in slow motion. The thumps of my pads as they beat the pavement, each one bring me closer, the hissing of the bolt of energy as it hurtled itself faster, and the beat of my heart against my ribs as ithought I wouldn't make it in time. Six inches away, I changed back, and everything was fast again. My arm wrapped around her waist as I rolled out of the way, and the blue hit the ground right where we were, dying in a fit of spitting light. When we stopped, I stretched Serenity out and did a quick body scan. Nothing serious, and she still had a pulse. With the flick of my body, I was facing Jones, his dreds slightly waving in the wind. A gust of wind kicked up, and the heat was on. In an instant we were going at each other like wild animals(--;;). Every hit I made was blocked, and vice-versa. Two rivals fighting over the same girl, only one was trying to kill her. Suddenly, an opening in Jones' defense gave me a clean shot. With my fist, I hit him straight on, and was able to kick him several times as a Kangaroo, which knocked him back a yard or so. He collapsed onto the ground, holding his face. From nowhere, I heard a scream. It was Libra Katt, adn she dropped the chains connecting her to my friends' crystal prisons as she ran over to aid Jones. Without her controlling them, they instantainously shrunk, and let everyone out.

"Oh, T.J.! Are you okay?"

"I'd certainly hope not." said Raven

She looked up, and saw each and everyone of us (sans Serenity) looking at both of them with angry eyes. Seeing she had majorly screwed up, she heaved Jones onto her shoulder, and made for out.

"We'll meet again, Titans!" She screeched "My employer will see to that!!!"

From over Libra Katt's shoulder, I heard Jones call out, "Till next time, Beast Boy. Till next time."

Then they were gone. Robin bent over and picked up Libra Katt's crystals. For the first time, we realized they were a set of scales.

"Well, I guess that's done with." Said Robin.

"No." I said. I kneeled down and carefully picked up Serenity. "Didn't you hear them? They'll be back, and probably with a little better way of beating us!"

"Beast Boy's right." Raven agreed. "They will be back. We should probably take some precautions as to what we do."

"What needs to be done now is to see to Serenity back at the Tower." said Starfire. "She may be hurt more than we can see."

"Star's right. We need to get back." said Cyborg.

We all agreed and silently traveled back home, all the time each was in deep thought.


	5. Awake

Jaksgirl: OK. TO all the Terra/Raven sympathysts, Serenity haters and grudge monkeys- This is for you. I know that I'm being rude to Terra, but re-read the dialogue! She hates me as well! Besides, people have problems with each other. The Titan's work together well, but they're not a well oiled machine. That, and she's EVIIILLL!!! With devil horns and mini-pitchfork! And about Raven, I don't hate Raven. I have no problem with her. Not at all. She's really, really cool!!!

To all the others who have no problem with how I write MY (yes, mine! MINEMINEMINEMINEMINE!!!!!) story- I thank you. I love your support, and I will finish this story. Eventually. It might take a while. A long while... Oh! And to the two people who want to hear Serenity's story, I'm just sayin' don't hold your breath. It's harder to write than this story. I'll say this though. It's all over a teacup.

(Serenity's POV)

I tried to move my head, but my neck hurt too much. I tried to lift my arms, but a heavy covering was holding them down. Panicking, my eyes snapped open. Looking straight into my face was Starfire.

"She wakes!" she shouted.

I could almost feel my ears cringing from the sound. Soon, the sounds of footsteps came to me and everyone was crowding around my field of vision. All but one. Beastboy was missing. Beastboy... cat... Libra Katt! My memory came back piecemeal. Apparently we had won, because I wasn't dead. But...

"Wh- where's Beast Boy?"

Terra took up stride. "He's in town. He's been hanging around there a lot. He said he was going to go pick up something for you." She hid the hate in her voice well. No one else must have picked it up, because no one's expressions registered it.

"Well.. ok." my head swam. "Oog."

"Perhaps you need more rest, friend Serenity." Starfire placed her hand on my shoulder before moving around to shoo everyone out.

After everyone had left, I turned on my side, and started out the huge window of my room. Fluffy clouds of white floated by, accented by rays of sunshine, punctuated by spell of shadow. Speaking of shadow, that's where my conscience was now. Dark, brooding thoughts filled my head. Flashes of the same person, Libra Katt. Flashes of that same sadistic smile. That hair that flashed like onyx in the sun, and those eyes behind the mask, glinting maniacally. I mentally cursed myself for getting caught so easily, and being defeated so thoroughly.

_"You have been bestowed with the gift of the nine-tailed fox demon. Your powers rival that of the four gate guardians of Kyoto. You hold the whole of Japan in the palm of your hand."_

Memories flooded my head, temporarily drowning out Libra Katt.

When I was seven, I went to be blessed by a Buddhist monk at our local temple, as was the custom for that age. I came a small child, but left a freak. I had been standing there, all dressed up in my little kimono while the monk waved the incense around my body and chanted. The next thing I know, I'm out cold on the floor, apparently from the fact that the Nine-tailed fox Demon decided to become a spirit and enter my body just because I was a good choice. 'You have been given a gift from God!' the monk told me. I didn't care. I was bitter. Without being able to control my powers, I had fully sprouted fox ears! My eyes looked like a fox's! I couldn't go back to school, or be with my friends, so what good was some meanie spirit in my body who just literally invaded my private space?! None, right then, but I was lucky to be out of school for a while. In a month, there was a shooting and a hostage crisis. It was a blessing in disguise...

But now, I thought of what use it is now. None. I can control the basic elements, and a little bit of lightning, which I had been working on for the past four years, and I still got my ass kicked.

_"Don't blame me, Serenity, or even yourself."_

I sighed. Occasionally, I could talk with the spirit of the other inside me. Apparently, he as now making the first move to speak. _What do you want?_

_"Just don't blame us. We just got outplayed, outwitted and outsmarted by Libra Katt."_

_You sound like that Survivor schpiel. Outplay, Outwit, Outlast._

_"But isn't that all life is?"_

_Listen, bub. Why don't you take your analogy and--_

"Serenity?"

I sat up and looked over to the door. Beast Boy was standing in the door way, holding a plastic bag full of stuff. He smiled weakly, but it faded quickly.

"I-uh brought some stuff for you." He walked over and sat down on the end of my bed with the plastic bag. "Suu-Lin gave me this stuff for you. It has some snacks, and some other things in it too, like a care package from home." He grinned. I did too.

He opened up the bag and started to hand stuff out. It was mostly snacks from Mom's care package. There was Baby Star crunchy chicken flavored noodle snack, packs of Hi-Chew, and a few cans of UCC Green Tea to boot. Some other things were in there too, and a package of Mochi Chocolate Chocolate ice cream that Suu-Lin had bought on request from mom, and even a copy of the latest Shonen Sunday. I noticed some envelopes and fished them out of the bag. Letters. Mom, Dad, Grandmother and Grandfather, and even my siblings. Soon, the bag's contents were strewn over my bed, and I opened up a can of tea and a bag of crunchy noodles. Holding the bag out to Beast Boy, he got a disgusted look on his face. Comprehension dawned and I coughed, just about sending tea out my nose.

"S-sorry." i coughed. I set down the bag and picked up the ice cream for him. "Want some?"

He shook his head and felt his back pocket. "I--uh..."

"You okay?" I asked

He nodded and drew something out of his pocket. It was a rectangle of clean, white paper with writing on it. It said "Get well soon" in near perfect kanji.

"I made this. Suu-Lin taught me how."

I looked at it and pressed it to my chest. "Thank you." I sighed. "It's so nice."

I bit my lower lip and started to gather the food back in the bag. Beast Boy got the silent hint and helped me pack it all in, then left me alone. When he was gone, I swung my legs out of bed and walked over to my humungo window in my room. The glass was cool, and the clouds were passing by at a leisurely pace. I sighed, and took a nearby cushion to my trunk. I opened it up and grabbed my incense burner and Sandalwood cone, and set it down on the ground next to me. Lighting it with a little flame from my fingertip, I started fishing through my trunk, reveling in the things that I still had from home. My heart ached for it, and for Beast Boy. Two things I couldn't have. As the sun and my cone burned lower, I decided to go put the perishables in the fridge. I shared some of the food with everyone but when night came, I sat awake by my window, grasping the handmade "Get Well" card from Beast Boy.

_So many things are going to go wrong, but why do they have to? I know life is unfair, but why can't it ever be unfair in my favor? Humph. The age old question._

I rolled my eyes and stared out over the bay, my thoughts drifting in and out like the tide.


	6. Rain Clouds and Lonley Homes

Jaks-Girl: Okay, y'all. Let's get one thing straight. If you don't like my story, stop reading it! There is no need for you to "suffer" through my hacking of the BB/T love interest, or the rest of my story for that matter. Don't read any of my stories period. If you want to gripe at me about how I do things, get off you high horse and send me an e-mail. I will read it and send one back in return, but remember children, one per person.

If you hate me, so be it. I have to put up with plenty of people that hate me I real life, so just do me a favor and STOP READING. I don't like getting flames, and I'm pretty sure you out there don't either. And just for good measure, stay away from any and all of my other stories I put on here unless you can write anything besides flames for reviews.

Cynax: Just for you I'll put up Serenity's story. It'll be the next thing I post. Thanks to your stirring "Marvel Comic Reason" it motivated me to get you off my butt. Oh, and I don't care what Marvel comics has to say about it unless you're Stan Lee himself. She's not going in the comics, so what do I care?

It was early the next morning, about sunrise, when I decided to go into town. The whole tower was asleep and quiet, and the only thing that could be heard was the a.c. system automatically turning on and off as I slipped out of my home in street clothes and sneakers.

When I reached the main drag of the city, my mind was rooted one place. My old address. I made my way through the very early morning traffic with ease, and soon found myself standing outside of the abandoned building on Fifth and Ivy. It was amazing how just one fight could earn you a little recognition from the world's best association, and earn you a place in the cutest-guy-you've-ever-seen's mind. I ripped the "Condemned-Dangerous" sign off the door and tried the knob. Locked. _Yeah. Did you really expect them to leave it open after that LAST stunt you pulled?_ I reached up under my hair and pulled out a bobby pin. I unbent it and shoved it in the lock. after about eight minutes, it clicked, and I popped the door open. _So I really did learn something useful from Takai. _I replaced the pin, and walked in, shutting the door behind me. It was dark and dusty inside, due to the fact that the windows were boarded up, and it had been uninhabited for the past year and a half. My sneakers left perfect prints in the choking dust, and I wandered from room to room, remembering exactly where everything had been. I looked through closets, seeing if anything had been left or forgotten, but nothing resided there. I lifted up three different floorboards and found a bag of broken china, an old sheet, and some really old food, but nothing worth taking home. I climbed up the three flights of stairs to look out over the bay and see the bridge with Titan tower looming out from behind it. I rested the heels of my hands on the sill and stared out of it, and didn't even notice the soft footsteps behind me.

"Serenity."

I whipped around to see an older guy, about twenty-one. His long crimson hair was in dreds, and his black eyes were penetrating my skin. He let a gentle smile slide over his face as he walked from his place by the door to next to me. I looked up into his face, expecting to see the face of some type of madman, ready to hold me for ransom, or something like that. Instead, all I saw was the face of a caring person.

"Who are you?" I asked intently.

"My name is T.J. Jones."

"How do you know my name?"

"That is of no matter. Serenity, I need you to relay a message for me, to your friends, the Titans."

My heart jumped. What did this guy want with us? "Huh? You... want me... to tell my friends something?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Those are matters to be pertained to later. Just tell them that the forthcoming time is almost at hand... and make sure to tell your green friend that I am waiting." He turned for the door.

My brain was trying to figure out the importance of this, when something crossed my mind. "Hey, do you know--"

He was gone. I shuddered involuntarily, and turned back to bask in the dim sunlight. The fog crept away from the bay and sky, not unfreezing the sunlight, and the overpowering feeling of hunger soon sent me from my old home. I walked down streets, turned down alleys, and soon came to the front door of Suu-Lin's tiny restaurant. It was basically a bar lined by seats where customers sat and were served their food. The three windows were decorated by red silk drapes, and drawn back by gold colored pulls. I saw Suu-Lin sweeping up around the floor, so she could open in a bit. She saw me and waved, then put aside her broom to open the door and let me in.

"Ooh, Serenity-san, whatcoo doin' outside at this time off day? It's freezing, and you don' have no coat. You'll catch your death, an' you'll be right back where you were a few days ago, bed ridden."

"Oh, Suu-Lin-san, you worry about me too much."

"Of course I worry about you. You are like the daughter I never had. Then again, if my daughter was like you, she'd be the one I'd never want." She smiled and i giggled. "You hungry, girl? You look cold too. I have some oshiroko bean soup, and dango rice dumplings, nice and hot. I'll go an' get some for you. Okay?"

"Sure." I took a seat at the bar, and looked at the lacquered black top of it, shined to mirror intensity.

"Oh, Serenity-san?" Suu-Lin called from the kitchen, "Could you switch the sign on the door? My early customers should be coming anytime soon."

"Okay."

I got up from my seat and switched the plastic sign from 'closed' to 'open'. By the time I had sat back down, there was a china bowl filled with the hot, steamy soup, and a saucer that was filled with the tiny dumplings. In jus a few minutes of me starting in on my soup and dumplings, the first of the customers arrived. Apparently, I had forgotten to do something, because Suu-Lin threw a hat at me as the first customer walked through the door. It took a few seconds to key in on Suu-Lin's problem, but I figured it out; it was my ears. I put the Floppy bucket hat on, and made my ears go from fox to human. My only camouflage to normality. I started on my soup again as A few more people started to trickle into the restaurant. My thoughts fluttered gracelessly across my mind, apparently giving Suu-Lin the correct assumption that something was wrong.

"Somthing wrong, Serenity-san?"

I shook my head. "No. Nothing."

She looked at me with a comical scowl. "You lie like bad rug."

"What's your point?" I asked, piercing a few dumplings with a skewer.

Suu-Lin switched language gears, so this would be a semi-private conversation. "Serenity-san, what is the matter? Something is wrong, and Suu-Lin-san is here to help." she asked in Japanese.

I sighed. "I don't know." I replied in my native tongue. "I'm supposed to relay a message to my friends, but that isn't it, I think."

"Then what?"

I paused. "I don't know. You know about what happened, the whole thing when I was seven."

"Yes."

"I guess it's just, I look around at all the people, and see them normal. See them all the same way. No one has pointy fox ears, or tails, or anything like that."

"But you're special! Be proud, and hold your head up high!"

"Special? Special doesn't get me a boyfriend, or any new friends, or anything like that. Normal does."

"But what about your friends, he rest of the titans? They're not exactly normal, and that Beast Boy seems to care about you. He came here to learn some kanji, just for you!" Suu-Lin said.

"So what? My friends are more normal than me!" I said loudly. Tears started to build up, along with my anger.

"But normal is so overrated. You are the one that told me that. Why can't you just be you?"

"Because I don't want to be me! I want to be someone else!!!" I screamed.

People looked up from their food, and looked at us. Inside something tore. Tears started down my face, and by it's own will, the bowl in front of me shattered into hundreds of pieces, sending it's contents drizzling over the edges of the bar. I jumped off the seat, and ran out the door, which blew open from a sudden gust of wind inside of the shop, and blew off my hat. As I ran outside, clouds started to cover up the sky with frightening speed and color. The black-gray clouds let down a torrential pour, accompanied by numerous bolts of lightning. I ran faster and faster, going down empty alleys and streets, tears running down my face, with almost the same amount as the water that they were mixing with. My eyes became blurry rather quickly, and a few times, I heard yelling and horns honking as I crossed over a street I thought was empty. It wasn't too long before I found myself at dead end alley, with nowhere to go. I wanted, no, NEEDED, to be somewhere other than a stinky alley. I found a fire escape and climbed up the three story tall building, finding a resting spot in the middle of an almost empty roof. Lightning crashed around me as U curled my legs up underneath me. Tears were still flooding my face and I hurt. Not just from running so much, or slipping a few times in wet spots, but inside. I cried aloud, my wails were accompanied by the thundering rain, and the deafening thunder.

It was hours later when my tears stopped, I still sat up there, being drenched by the rain. I didn't want to go back to Titan tower, but I had to relay that message.

_It can wait until tomorrow._ I told myself.

When the rain finally started to get to me, I got off the roof and started wandering the streets again. _To go home, or not? Either way, you have to do something, but the latter has nowhere for you to stay._ I came to a corner of a street and looked at the street sign. Fifth and Garden. One more street up, and I'd be at Fifth and Ivy. I laughed a one-note laugh. I'd just stay there until tomorrow. When I walked up to the door of the building, I shook the knob. Still unlocked. I walked inside, and saw nothing but my sneaker prints in the dust. _Not even his..._ I shut the door behind me and locked it with a flick of my wrist. With security of the lock, I meandered up the stairs to the second story, where I used to sleep. I lifted up a loose floorboard, and pulled out the old sheet I had found earlier, and spread it across the dusty floor.

"It'll have to do..." I sighed

I looked back into the empty space in the floor, and saw one of my stumps of a candle I had overlooked. I set it on the floor, and called up a small flame to light it. A dim light permiated the room, faintly throwing my shadow about. I stripped off my sopping clothed down to my skivvies, and hung them in the closet to dry. I didn't know what time it was, but It was dark, and I was tired. I laid down on the sheet, not minding that is was a little mouse nibbled and musty, or the fact that I was still wet, and getting cold. I just curled my arm under my head, and stared at the candle's flame. By the time it started guttering, and drowned itself in it's own liquid wax, I was asleep and falling deeper into a world of black.


End file.
